Resources

The wealth of Arizona’s cities and towns depends largely on youth receiving good educations and contributing to their communities. School and work are central to ensuring that youth develop knowledge and skills needed to lead successful lives.

In Arizona, many youth face diminished prospects for their futures as a result of their academic outcomes. These are young people who do not graduate from high school — so called “non-completers” — and “disconnected youth,” those young people who are neither attending school nor employed.

This updated Arizona Mayors Education Dashboards report features a series of profiles that illustrate the estimated fiscal losses — in 15 Arizona cities and towns — that result from high school non-completion and youth disconnection. These estimated losses reflect lost earnings, higher rates of criminal activity, poorer health, increased reliance on government programs, as well as productivity losses and tax distortions.

Also available is Arizona Mayors Education Dashboards Report: An Explanatory Guide, a brief describing the information contained in the Arizona Mayors Education Dashboards report. The brief also answers frequently asked questions about the significance of the measures the report discusses.

Contact WestEd’s Paul Koehler to learn more about the Arizona Mayors Education Roundtable project.